Hand-book of Volapük/8

= PERSONS = The pronoun of the FIRST person is ob, I; plural, obs, we.

When the verb is in the first person the pronoun is united with it as a person ending, forming one word. Binob, I am;

p&uuml;kob, I speak; k&ouml;mobs, we come; golobs, we go.

The pronoun of the SECOND person is ol, thou or you (singular); ols, you, plural. See remarks on the distinction between <B>ol</B> and <B>ols</B>, page 5.

These syllables <B>ol</B> and <B>ols</B> are likewise suffixed to the verb, foming one word. <B>Binol</B>, thou art or you are; <B>p&uuml;kol</B>, thou speakest or you speak; <B>k&ouml;mols flens</B>, you, friends, are coming; <B>golols</B>, ye are going.

We may, also translate, "I am" by <B>ob binob</B>, and, "thou art" by <B>ol binol</B>; but this repetition of the personal syllable is unusual, and only employed for emphasis or when it is desired to place the subject at a distance from the verb.

In the THIRD person there are four pronouns: <B>om</B> for masculins and neuters, he, it; of for feminins, she; <B>os</B>, neuter impersonal or abstract; <B>on</B>, collectiv, one (as "one says"), people, "they." In the plural, <B>oms</B> and <B>ofs</B>, they.

<A NAME="p011"></A>These pronouns are also suffixed to the verb, <B>binom</B>, he is, it is ("IT" being some definit thing previously mentioned). <BR><B>P&uuml;kof</B>, she speals; <B>golofs</B>, they (the women) go; <B>nifos</B>, it snows; <B>sagon</B>, they say, people say, one says, it is said.

Even when the subject of the verb is a noun expressed, yet the <B>om</B> or <B>of</B> must be added : of for a feminin subject, <B>om</B> for any other. <B>Vom binof j&ouml;nik</B>, the woman is beautiful. <B>Man binom famik</B>, the man is famous. <B>Dom binom gletik</B> (not <B>dom binos gletik</B>), the house is large. <B>Doms binoms gletik</B>, the houses are large. <B>Jisons binofs yunik</B>, the daughters are young.

We can now conjugate any verb through the persons of the present tense. --- <BR>

<BR>The mnemonic word <B>OBOLOMOFOSON</B> contains all the personal pronouns. If it be written from memory twenty times the verb endings will not be casily forgotten. <BR>